Neck Sharpies: Y Banana Comment Count

Seth

First things first: I think I finally get the Nike hype:

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Correct, oh merchants of swoosh.

So…

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If you got your copy of HTTV this year (if you didn't it's probably too late for a hard copy since we are a few copies away from selling out), you probably already read Ian Boyd's article on John O'Korn, which included several Harbaugh staples that really use the specific talents of Michigan's offensive skill position players.

One of the mainstays of Harbaughffense in every stop before now was this: Y Banana. Gruden's QB camp episode with Andrew Luck spent a good chunk of time on this play (start at 8:38 here and then watch part ii), and if you watched Michigan under Carr you'll recognize the hell out of it too. So if you watched Michigan last year knowing these things, Y Banana might have seemed noticeably absent.

I already covered one play that is basically banana, which I called Levels TE drag.image

The only real difference here is instead of an X receiver on the "strong" (field/Butt's) side, Harbaugh put AJ Williams on the playside and had him run the TE's level, making Butt the backside read.

I still would like to get into this again however because the above was a reaction to the 2015 personnel, while the base thing may be a perfect fit for Michigan's 2016 guys, provided they can run.

[Hit the Jump for John Gruden yelling at Andrew Luck to throw it to the fullback]

How Y Banana Works

It starts with a play-action inside-out play with the linemen blocking down and the running back apparently following the fullback out the backside. But the FB is going to whoop the unblocked DE and the running back will cut that guy. Now the fullback is in the flat, with the coverage run off by the routes of the receivers/tight ends.

They've now got the playside linebacker caught between zones: if he backs into the crossing route the fullback is open. If he comes down on the fullback the ball goes over his head. If the defense covered both guys, they've probably used up too many players on the frontside for coverage and the quarterback can run it.

In the Gruden video, he chides Luck for reading backside and chucking an interception, even though his primary read, the fullback is coming open like he should. It's kind of a weakness of this play: you are flooding one side so the guy running a route into the backside is expected to be surrounded by dudes so often it's not worth looking back.

So Harbaugh plays games with the backside. In the example I used last spring the backside was Butt, running what's usually the crossing route, while Williams was running off the coverage like the crossing receiver usually would. Ultimately all of his receivers ended up on the same side of the field.

Spread junkies agree it's not ideal to flood the side you're attacking with enemies, but Butt being able to run off his coverage won the offense a triangle and didn't have to take Rudock's eyes off his primary and secondary reads.

I'll show you one more way he tried to do it:

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This is now barely recognizable as the same play except the fullback's route. But it's got the same principles. Butt this time stayed in to block the backside and the slide protection managed to pick up a blitz that made life hard on Glasgow. The RB (Johnson) set up in the hole like he was going to block the MLB if he came late, and when he didn't Johnson went out in a route. Darboh ran off the coverage with a sluggo route, and Perry ran a slant-in that becomes the trail route. Unfortunately Rudock threw it way short, taking Houma off his feet and negating what was about to be a pretty good gain.

Why We'll See It in 2016

Michigan only ran it a handful of times last year, and I think part of that was because they felt they lacked three things that really make it hum:

  1. A scary power running game.
  2. A fullback who could do a lot of damage as a receiver
  3. A quarterback who could do a lot of damage with his feet.

With Butt, Chesson and Darboh, defenses can't just start leaving those guys with linebackers in coverage, which means the designer defenses that really shut down West Coast flat attacks aren't available.

The more the Drevno effect kicks in, the more those linebackers will get caught low and inside, thus facing the wrong way and reacting too slowly to a fullback they thought was about to hammer them.

And while Khalid Hill is doubtless not the running back that Houma was last year, and his blocking is sure to still be a work in progress, he's already a very pretty route runner. Getting him into these routes on the regular seems an effective use of that skill.

And then there's O'Korn, who shined in high school and as a freshman when on the move, is given a relatively easy read, and can himself be a dangerous triangle option, running into the space created by a linebacker who bolts too quickly for the flat.

Comments

Kevin13

August 2nd, 2016 at 5:31 PM ^

zone flood and I have always told QB's their easiest read on that play is the CB. If he's in a cover 2 or even 4 your going over his head to either of the TE's. If he's in a man or cloud type coverage throw it under to the FB.

bweldon

August 2nd, 2016 at 6:33 PM ^

The other thing is like Luck said, "you can't go broke taking a profit"  a well thrown pass to the FB is easy yards and sometimes he will break it for a big gain.   The other thing is that look also works well with a trips crossing where you are going deep like what Carr used to do with Brady in 2000 and the WR's he had.

 

Toasted Yosties

August 2nd, 2016 at 6:59 PM ^

Haven't read the article yet, but if the first picture is saying anything I'm guessing it's that the T-1000 is the only plausible replacement HC after Jim retires. Totally agree.

BuckNekked

August 3rd, 2016 at 5:26 AM ^

After participating in the HTTV kickstarter program I stil havent received my copy of the preview. Now the hardcopies are almost gone? And still no reply to my emails as to the reason why. Im very disappointed.

1VaBlue1

August 3rd, 2016 at 9:00 AM ^

Seth sent a Kickstarter update message last week (or two weeks ago?) that said there were some shipping problems that resulted in damage.  If you haven't recieved yours yet, email him again.  The lack of reply may be due to getting you on the queue rather than ignoring you.  I just received my second hardcopy a few days ago. 

Seth

August 3rd, 2016 at 9:15 AM ^

Have you emailed me--(my name at mgoblog.com)?

One of the reasons we sold out is I've had to replace so many copies that didn't come or came damaged and the kickstarter backers take priority.

I've been responding to what comes--usually within 24 hours.

1VaBlue1

August 3rd, 2016 at 9:05 AM ^

I love a sharp neck - we need more of these, please!  I doubt I'll ever recognize it on TV, but maybe on the various replays?  It's nice to gain knowledge of the game...